YORK, Pa. — Any traumatic brain injury in children can be scary, and getting the right treatment as early as possible is critical to recovery, but it is difficult to predict which kids will recover within a few weeks and which will have persistent symptoms that affect their lives for months.
Now, a new study by doctors in the Division of Sports Medicine, researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy and scientists in the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has identified biological changes in the saliva of pediatric concussion patients that can help predict who will need more time and treatment after a concussion.
"If we can detect children who might be at risk to experience a persistent post-concussion symptom, the doctor can treat them differently," said Dr. Ginger Yang with MPH/Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The study examined molecules called microRNA in the saliva of pediatric concussion patients at initial treatment, as well as two weeks and four weeks after their injury.
Dr. Katherine Miller with Nationwide Children's Hospital said, "We can identify, in a tube, 800 different microRNAs, which one is which, and then, essentially, the technology allows us to count what microRNA is there and how much of it is there."
Using this method, scientists identified thirteen microRNA that are expressed differently in children who experience persistent post-concussive symptoms
"And that's important because if we can identify that at the time of injury, it can lead to earlier clinical intervention and really, a more personalized approach for caring for these children as they recover from concussion, especially if they're at risk for extended or prolonged recovery," explained Dr. Miller.